The single most important talent in selling professional services is the ability to understand the purchasing process (not the sales process) from the clients’ perspective.

A fourth reason to give priority to existing clients is that if firms are to grow their capabilities, and strengthen their position in the marketplace, then they must conscientiously pay attention to the types of work they bring in.

A second attraction in targeting existing clients is that, in most situations, marketing costs to win a given volume of new business are lower.

Other aspects of the sales process, such as discovering the real (often unstated) client concerns and needs are far easier to do in an existing client setting. A third factor which increases the probability of winning new business in existing client situations is the basic fact that such new-business opportunities are usually noncompetitive: If the

This is so because the ability to win the client’s trust and confidence is a dominant influence in the sales process of professional services.

Existing clients represent higher-probability prospects.

Can you think of another way to ensure consistent execution of these things?

When you are the client, do you care about these issues? b. What is your experience in finding providers who excel at this behavior? c. Do any of these questions represent an “unreasonable” client expectation—when you’re the client? d. How confident do you feel that your firm would outperform the competition on these questions? e. How valuable

Having discussed measures and management, we now turn to the third element of a service quality program: the development and dissemination of specific, concrete ideas, to be shared among the professionals, for enhancing value to clients during their assignments.